EWU/ASU Update 6

EWU benefits from a questionable running into the kicker call on a punt. The penalty allowed EWU to set up a fake on the rekick, as the up back rambled 51 yards for a touchdown to cut the lead to 21-14 with 10:45 left in the third.

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EWU/ASU Update 5

App adds another score in the final minute of the half on an impressive drive of 13 plays and 86 yards, capped by a 15-yard pass play from Edwards to Batichon. ASU 21, EWU 7 at halftime.

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EWU/ASU Update 4

Eastern Washington drove inside the Mountaineer 5, converting on a fourth down play, but a fumbled handoff was recovered by DJ Smith to give the ball back to the Apps with just over 4 minutes to go in the half. App 14, EWU 7

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EWU/ASU Update 3

ASU strikes again!

Armanti Edwards 41 yard touchdown pass to Dexter Jackson puts App on the board again with 14:25 left in the 2nd quarter. Mountaineers 14, Eagles 0.

The Eagles manage an answer. Following an 82-yard kickoff return, a seven yard TD pass from Matt Nichols to Aaron Boyce cuts the App lead to 14-7 at the 12:48 mark in the 2nd
.
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EWU/ASU Update 2

EWU drove down to the App 15, but the Black & Gold defense pushed the Eagles back to force a 46-yard field goal attempt. ASU's Corey Lynch blocked his sixth career field goal attempt to hold Eastern scoreless and regain possession. Three ASU running plays moved the Mountaineers near midfield as the first quarter expires with the Mountaineers leading by a 7-0 score.

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EWU/ASU Update 1

ASU was forced into a three-and-out on its opening drive. Eastern's first drive has moved into App territory, but a big hit on 3rd down forces an incompletion. An ASU penalty on the punt return has App pinned inside their own 5 for the second drive.

Poor field position doesn't affect the Mountaineers, as App's 2nd drive goes 11 plays and a season-long 95 yards in 4:09, reaching paydirt on a run by Armanti Edwards of four yards to put App up 7-0 with 6:20 remaining in the opening period.

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ASU/Eastern Washington Game Day Blog

We are LIVE at Kidd Brewer Stadium for NCAA FCS Football Quarterfinal action between Eastern Washington and Appalachian State. Should App win today's game, they will likely host a semifinal game next Saturday against the winner of the Richmond/Wofford game played later Saturday evening.


Pre-game notes: Neither RB Kevin Richardson nor DB Jerome Touchstone are starting in today's game, however both are dressed and will play if necessary.


Keep checking in here at the blog throughout the game for updates and pertinent information.








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Mountaineers Host Eastern Washington in Second Round

The two-time defending national champions Appalachian State benefited from luck to get past James Madison last Saturday. However, Mountaineer Coach Jerry Moore knows it will take more then luck to move on past Eastern Washington.
"They’re good. They’re real good," he said. "They beat an undefeated football team. They’re no strangers to this." While this is the first time Eastern Washington has played a Southern Conference opponent, Moore and his staff are familiar with the Eagles. “I was familiar with them because three or four years ago, I was interested in their throwing game,” Moore stated. “They spread it out like everyone else, but their number one thing is the passing game.”
The Eagles defeated #2 seed McNeese State on the road last week 44-15 and are lead by quarterback Matt Nichols, the top offensive player in the Big Sky Conference. Nichols has completed 64 percent of his passes for 3,559 yards, 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions. “He’s had a great year, obviously, when you’re MVP of your conference,” Eastern Washington Coach Paul Wulff said. “He’s had a few up and down games though. He’s still growing, being a young quarterback. When he plays well, we’ve won.”
However, the Eagles face some tough hurdles. The kickoff at Kidd Brewer Stadium is set for 9 am Western time. “That’s an issue and hurdle our kids are going to have to play through. It is what it is,” Wulff stated. “We practice at 9 a.m. during two-a-days. We’ll do it again before we head out of here Thursday. Have we ever played a game at nine? Never have. This will be a first.”
While the Eagles play regularly at Montana, Wulf feels that playing at App can have its problems. “I think our kids are accustomed to [the atmosphere] in a certain degree. It still doesn’t push the facts away, which are the noise factor, nobody rooting for you and every time you try to do something there is a problem with communication. We’ve just got to be mature about it and block it out the best we can.” The kickoff is set for noon on Saturday.

FROM THE STUDENT SECTION……..Random Odds and Ends

This past Thanksgiving weekend was a wild one in sports. From Tennessee’s 4 OT victory to App’s last second fumble recovery, there was something exciting almost everywhere you went. Here are just a few things I think are noteworthy:

· The Appalachian State-James Madison game was just crazy. It is what playoff football is all about, and why it is so special. The game was a matchup of the past two national champions and it turned out to be what many expected. It was a knockdown drag out. JMU controlled the contest, but the Mountaineers found a way to win. The Apps host Eastern Washington at “The Rock” on Saturday at noon. Eastern Washington defeated #2 seed McNeese State 44-15 last Saturday.
· Speaking of this Saturday’s Appalachian game, there are still tickets available (as of Wednesday Night). If you have never been to a playoff game at “The Rock,” it is worth the trip. Boone is also having their annual Christmas Parade at 9 am in Downtown. So you can see Santa, and then see some high quality football. Tickets are $20 (Youths 3-12 are $5) and are available on goasu.com. For those unable to make it to Boone, the game will be on ESPN Gameplan. Charter Cable has also received a waiver to broadcast the game. More details will be posted later on goasu.com.
· There are still two high school football teams from this area in action. Hampton (13-0) has to travel four hours to powerhouse South Pittsburg (13-0), and Watauga (11-3) hosts Mount Tabor (11-3). Both games look to be exciting, and the winner advances to the respective state championship.
· How about those Vols! The Tennessee Volunteers went from 1-2 at the start of the season to playing in the SEC Championship against LSU. Can they pull it off? Game time is set for 4:00pm on CBS.
· If West Virginia and Missouri loses this coming weekend, it would be possible that Georgia could play for the national title. The same Georgia who did not win its conference title or even its division. That is the BCS for you.
· LSU being defeated by Arkansas almost seems fitting. The 3 overtime thriller just seems to match this whole crazy season. There is a lot of argument that the SEC is one of the toughest conferences in the country, and this Saturday’s game backs that up. The SEC Champion will have two conference losses. It would seem that every Saturday in the SEC is a playoff Saturday.
· As High School Basketball gets in full swing. The Avery Journal-Times and The Avery Journal Sports Blog will be your source to keep you updated.

Good Luck to all the teams this week and weekend. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and avoided the "Football Fever" I got after the App Game on Saturday. It was not alot of fun, but I am better and ready to go.

LA Mountaineers Soccer Team Wins State Cup Tournament

For the first time in the history of Boone, a team of over 30 players, LA Mountaineers,
represented Boone at the North Carolina Adult State Cup that was held in Asheville, NC.
To make this historic event even more memorable, LAMs won their division with a
superior performance and sportsmanship and are heading to the state championship game
to be held in Winston Salem early January 2008. The team was also qualified to play at
the National Championship Tournament that will be held in May 2008.

The LA Mountaineers Over 30 Soccer team was put together by Dr. Rahman Tashakkori
of the Department of Computer Science at Appalachian and was partially sponsored by
the Los Arcoiris Restaurant. The team comprised of players from several teams in the
Fall 2008 Parks and Recreation Adult League and the Hispanic community. This group
of extraordinary individuals had demonstrated leadership and provided role models to the
community. The team knew very well that they were going to have a challenging task
playing against excellent teams from across the state. Teams from Raleigh, Greensboro,
Winston Salem, and Asheville were in the division they were playing. However, the
tough three day tournament did not present a serious challenge for the dedicated playersof the team.

LA Mountaineers won the first place in the division undefeated; with 3 wins and 1 tie.
In their first game of the tournament, LA Mountaineers played against Team Nunya at
9:00 pm on Friday November 16. Nunya was a great team comprised mostly of players
who were coaching different high school teams across the state. The game was very
intense and the combination of a sub-zero temperature and artificial grass presented a
challenge. LA Mountaineers took a 2-0 lead after two fantastic goals by Charles (Roth)
Scott and Genaro Leon in the first half but that lead was cut to 2-1 on a Nunya’s free kick
from behind the line early in second half. The game got to its peak of excitement when
with just 5 minutes before the final vessel Nunya was awarded a penalty kick. For a
couple of minutes there was pure silence and that two minutes appeared much longer to
the players of both teams. The deadly silence ended with a fantastic save by one of the
greatest goal keepers in the state, Jarrett Franklin. The perfect penalty kick placed the
ball far to the right, inside the post, but it was the amazing dive by Jarrett that kept the
ball outside the goal line. The team celebrated this great victory shortly after.

On Saturday November 17, LA Mountaineers had to face the Telepathic Graphics of
Greensboro at noon. The game started very slowly as both teams were evaluating each
other. However, 12 minutes into the first half a long shot by Avery High School men’s soccer coach Lou Brancourt from behind the eighteen sent the ball, right in the top right-hand-side of the goal. Here is video of the goal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_TQ3hPAYh8

That was the beginning of a storm that resulted in a 6-0 final score with goals by Rahman Tashakkori, Alfredo Alvarez (2), Roth Scott, and Genaro Leon. With the tireless work of Aaron Bachenheimer, Roth Scott, Andrew Kota, and David Jameson at the midfield, the LA Mountaineers were on their way to the next day matches with two valuable victories.

On Sunday November 18, LAMs had much tougher matches to play. They had to play
two games; one at 8:00 am and the other at noon in two different locations against two of
the top teams in the division. These two teams were both undefeated and were looking
for a win to take the first place. Ironically, playing two games within 2 hours of each
other in two different locations was not the most difficult problem LA Mountaineers had
to deal with on that day. Three of the youngest players on the team were unable to play
in the Sunday matches; one player was injured, and one player was unable to play in the
second match of the day. The eighteen man roster became much smaller and with fewer
substitutes the last two 90 minute matches appeared much more challenging.

The 8:00 am match against Phonix of Raleigh was a real tough one as that team was
coming strong for a win to take the first place while LA Mountaineers could hold to the
first place at least for another two hours with a tie or win and the control their destiny
depending on the outcome of their noon game. The match was pretty much even and
went 0-0 in the first half. LA Mountaineers had to save their energy against a team that
had a full roster and was playing extremely hard. Early in the second half, Phonix scored
on a penalty kick that put them ahead 1-0. LA Mountaineers had a tough job leveling the
match as the Phonix had one of the most disciplined and skilled defenses of the league.
With just a minute left to the vessel, Rahman Tashakkori’s pass from the left side of the
field put Matt McFall in an excellent position to score from behind the center of the box,
but he was brought down just short of the eighteen line. A superior kick by Alfredo
Alvarez sent the ball to the left side of the goal where the Phonix keeper watched the
equalizer kiss the net.

The tough match was tiring, but there was no time to rest. The team had to run across the town to play in their last game against a well-rested home team which was playing their first game that day. Smush of Asheville had come to the game to play the tired LA Mountaineers which had only a couple of substitutes for their last game. This game demonstrated the greatness of the LA Mountaineers and was the highlight of the tournament. As everyone had safely bet on an easy win by the Smush, LA Mountaineers took the lead in the middle of the first half on a Phonix own goal. The substitute situation got worse for LA Mountaineers when Juan Bautista was injured in the 55th minute. Now LAMs had to play with only one substitute. In minute 70, the team watched a beautiful goal by Alfredo Alvarez when he sent a ball above the Smush’s
keeper’s head who had come out to challenge Alfredo’s great run. There was a
significant pressure from Smush, but the strong LA Mountaineers defense, Mark Minis,
Todd Wood, Cliff Hampton, and Victor Rangel appeared like a concrete wall. Due to the
superior performance of Matt McFall, Lou Brancourt, Chris Arquette, Leonardo Garcia,
Rahman Tashakkori and Genaro Leon and David Lynch at the midfield, Phonix was left
with nothing but frustration. The LA Mountaineers’ win against Phonix sealed the first
place title in the division. By the time game ended, the players had given it everything
they had. LA Mountaineers of Boone was impressive both in and outside the field and
had impressed everyone with great characters and team work. The best keeper-defense
pair of the tournament had only given up two goals, one on penalty kick and another on a
free kick from behind the line.

Mountaineers Hold Off Dukes in Opening Round of FCS Playoffs

On a bone-chilling Saturday afternoon the Appalachian State Mountaineers hosted the James Madison Dukes in NCAA Division 1 FCS action.

A long kickoff return gave ASU great starting position to start the game, but a Kevin Richardson fumble stalled the drive inside the JMU 30 yard line. JUM capitalized on the turnover with a 9 play 73 yard drive capped by a pass of 10 yards from Lander to Yancey, giving the Dukes the early 7-0 lead.

App held the ball for only one additional possession in the period and were forced to punt. JMU controlled the ball for the remainder of the period to hold a 7-0 lead after one quarter of play. As the Dukes continued the drive, a momentum-changing play took place as Pierre Banks forced a fumble after a pass completion. Jacque Roman toted the pigskin 77 yards inside the JMU 2 yard line. A 4-yard run by Edwards three plays later tied the game at 7-7 with 12:14 remaining in the half.

JMU regrouped from its turnover to retake the lead with a 7-play, 66 yard drive culminating with a 5-yard jaunt by Yancey to give James Madison back the advantage at 14-7 at the 8:55 mark.

Unfazed, Appalachian roared back with an 8-play, 80-yard drive that consumed 3:08 off the clock. Richardson galloped across from a yard out for the TD, but ASU's PAT was blocked, leaving App trailing by a point at 14-13.

ASU forced its second turnover of the half as Justin Woseah helped force an interception deep inside Dukes territory. On 4th down and one, Edwards raced 17 yards to the JMU one yard line. Edwards scored on a one-yard sneak on the next play to give the lead back to ASU. A successful PAT was wiped off the board by a facemask penalty, and the repeat kick from 15 yards back was wide left, leaving ASU ahead by only five at 19-14 at the half.

Following an ASU turnover, James Madison regained the advantage in the seesaw game. An apparent 25 yard field goal attempt was faked, with the JMU holder flipping the ball over his head to the running kicker Stennard, who scored on the play. The PAT clanged off the upright, but JMU held a 20-19 advantage at the 4:22 mark of the third period.

Following an Appalachian punt, James Madison began a drive near its own 20 yard line, attempting and converting a fourth down in its own territory to keep the drive alive as the third quarter expired. The Dukes continued a time-consuming and potentially back breaking drive inside the Mountaineer 5 yard line, converting a number of third down plays. The 16 play, 76 yard touchdown drive was emphatically capped by a two-yard touchdown run by Sullivan. The PAT gave the Dukes a 27-19 lead with 7:37 remaining in the contest.

ASU picked up points on its next drive with a 9 play, 52 yard drive that took only 2:33. A 44-yard Julian Rauch field goal cut the Mountaineer deficit to 27-22 with 4:51 remaining.

When JMU received its ensuing possession, the offense was faced with a fourth and short decision near its own 34 yard line. Coach Micky Matthews rolled the dice to go for it and try to seal the upset win, but the App defense stepped up big to make a stop behind the line of scrimmage to give the offense back the pigskin with less than 3 minutes to go.

A huge fourth down conversion pass from Edwards to Devin Moore kept the drive alive, and Edwards raced five yards on a QB sneak to give ASU the lead back at 28-27 with 1:10 remaining in the game.

James Madison continued to display resiliency in driving the football with short time inside the Appalachian 10-yard line. A 36-yard pass play set up the Dukes with the opportunity to win the game. Coach Matthews with only 23 seconds remaining chose to run one more running play to place the football in the middle of the football field for his kicker to attempt a chip-shot field goal, but the plans went disastrously wrong when Gary Tharrington forced a fumble from the JMU running back, which Pierre Banks fell on to give ASU the football and the unlikely victory.

This Saturday the Mountaineers host Eastern Washington, who upset McNeese State to advance to the round of 8. Kickoff is slated for noon at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone.

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Vikings Grapplers Compete at Old Appalachian Invitational and Indian Duals

The Avery wrestling team opened the season last weekend at the Old Appalachian Invitational tournament at Watauga High School. Avery's team score of 57.5 points was good enough for 13th among the 19-team field at the tournament.

Avery senior John Hensley captured third place in the 135-pound weight class, while Stephen Holland tied for third place in the 140-pound weight class.

The Vikings traveled to St. Stephens High School in Hickory on Wednesday to compete in the 10-team Indian Duals. Avery's young squad struggled in dual matches against more experienced teams in South Caldwell, host St. Stephens, and Winston-Salem Glenn, but the Vikings captured fourth place in its pool by defeating the East Mecklenburg Eagles.

Hensley again wrestled well at the event, winning three matches by pin and a fourth match by injury forfeit. The Vikings next take on the Watauga Pioneers on Tuesday, then travel to Ashe County for a dual meet Thursday evening before competing in the Ashe County Tournament in Jefferson on Saturday.

Lady Vikings Paste Patton in Season Debut

The Avery Lady Vikings opened the '07-'08 season with an impressive 62-32 victory over Patton in Morganton Monday night. Avery led by only five at 15-10 after one period, but a 19-8 scoring differential opened a 16-point halftime lead. Defense also keyed the Big Red, as Avery forced 21 Patton turnovers in the first half of play.

The duo of Kimberley Gragg and Laura Lacey combined for 30 points on the evening. Gragg also pulled down 8 rebounds, while Lacey added 9 assists, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals in the win. Fellow senior Joy Jennings was a third Lady Vikings scorer in double figures with 11 points while adding 4 assists.

Avery travels to Mitchell High School this weekend for a Thanksgiving tournament where they will face R-S Central on Friday and Forbush High School on Saturday.

Richardson Sets School Record in Win over Mocs; Apps Host James Madison in FCS Opening Round

Appalachian State revved the offensive engine early and often as it dialed up an early 14-0 first quarter lead behind a 10-yard Armanti Edwards touchdown run on the Mountaineers' opening drive. The Apps' second drive resulted in a score as Armanti Edwards used a Josh Johnson block to scamper 28 yards to give ASU a 14-0 lead.

Late in the period Chattanooga capped a 10 play, 78-yard drive with a Joseph Pitman 3-yard touchdown reception, cutting the Mountaineer lead to 14-7 at the 1:39 mark of the opening period.

Appalachian immediately answered on its next drive using only three plays, as Edwards raced 40 yards on an option keeper to stake the Black and Gold to a 21-7 advantage with only seconds remaining in the first quarter.

Chattanooga continued to hang in the game midway through the second quarter as Spencer Nolan booted a 35-yard field goal to cut the Mocs deficit to 21-10.

Chattanooga had an opportunity to cut further into ASU's lead around the four minute mark of the half, but a Nolan 34-yard FG attempt was partially deflected, turning the Mocs away.

The Moc defense forced a three-and-out and looked to again dent the App deficit. A two-yard touchdown pass with 17 seconds left at the half made it a ballgame at 21-17. The Mountaineers managed to move into field goal range in the final dozen seconds of the half, but a Julian Rauch 52-yard attempt was wide right, keeping the Mocs in the contest.

The majority of the third period was a jockeying for field position between the two clubs, as the teams exchanged punts. A key Chattanooga fumble was recovered by ASU at the Chattanooga 30 yard line. A reverse to Dexter Jackson moved App to the UT-C 10 yard line as the third quarter expired with no further scoring by either club.

Appalachian converted the turnover into points as the fourth period began, with Edwards capping the drive with a two-yard run for his fourth TD of the day. The PAT was blocked, leaving athe Mountaineers with a ten-point bulge at 27-17 with 13:52 remaining.

A shanked Chattanooga punt gave the Mountaineers favorable position inside the UTC 30. Appalachian cashed in on the good fortune to the tune of a 23-yard Rauch field goal to up the ASU lead to 30-17 at the 8:54 mark.

The Black and Gold defense put the finishing touches on the victory with 36 seconds remaining, when Buck Buchanan Award candidate Corey Lynch drilled Moc receiver Clint Woods as he caught a pass and Justin Woazeah scooped up the loose ball and returned it 32 yards for his first-career touchdown to close out the scoring.

Offensively, Edwards and Richardson both went over the 100-yard rushing mark for the fifth time in the last 11 games they’ve played in together, with Edward rolling up a game-high 157 yards on the ground and Richardson chipping in with 103. Richardson’s record rushing total now stands at 4,486 yards while Edwards became the fastest player in school history to reach the 2,000-yard rushing plateau. In just 22 career games, Edwards has rushed for 2,081 yards, already the ninth-highest mark in school history and most ever by an ASU quarterback.

Appalachian State University’s defense of its back-to-back NCAA Division I football national championships begins on Saturday at Kidd Brewer Stadium versus James Madison. Appalachian (9-2, 5-2 SoCon) is not one of the four seeded teams in the 16-team Division I Championship field, despite winning its third-consecutive Southern Conference championship and looking to become the first team to ever claim three-straight national titles at the Division I FCS (Football Championship Subdivision — formerly Division I-AA) level. James Madison comes into the postseason with an 8-3 overall record and finished 6-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association’s South Division, a game behind Richmond. Between them, the Mountaineers and Dukes have won the last three national titles (JMU in 2004, ASU in ‘05 and ‘06). “James Madison is one of the best teams in the 16,” ASU head coach Jerry Moore said. “We’ll start off against a great football team.”

Information from Appalachian State University Sports Information was used in compiling this report.

Vikings Look to Build on Successful Past in 2007-08

The 2006-07 Avery Vikings men’s basketball season was one of highs and lows. The low point perhaps came in a pair of contests at Madison in regular season play and at Mountain Heritage in the postseason conference tournament, as Avery struggled in a pair of defeats.

The high points came late at the most welcome time: the end of the season. Avery made an impressive run into the third round of the NCHSAA 1A basketball playoffs with a pair of home wins, then took the third-ranked (and preseason 2007-08 top five) Cherryville Ironmen to the limit on their home floor in a 102-92 thriller in the season finale.

Many components of last season’s Cinderella run are gone, but enough firepower remains to consider the Vikings to be a player in this year’s Western Highlands Conference race.
Avery returns a pair of senior sharpshooters in all-conference player Kyle Cable and swingman Seth Phillips, each of whom showed ability to both slash to the bucket and drain the long bombs a season ago.

In addition, Avery returns senior Pedro Benavides, a key contributor off the bench who may be called upon this season to increase productivity. The Vikings will have a number of newcomers this season whose performance will likely determine how good this year’s squad can be. A number of senior football players transition from the gridiron to the hardwood, including Preston Jennings, who is recovering from a collar bone injury, Logan Lecka, and Michael Pittman, who was unable to play basketball a season ago due to a broken bone in his leg suffered in last season’s football playoffs.

A number of junior varsity players will move up to contribute this season as well, including guards Chris Childress, Jared Ward, and Tyler Blalock.

“The biggest thing we’re trying to do is get into basketball shape. We’ve played more summer basketball this year than we have in the past, but it takes a little time to get the wrinkles out. We’ve had to practice with what we’ve had, but having the football players come out a little later does put us a step behind,” Vikings head coach Art Williamson said during a recent practice.

Early practices before the end of football season have resulted in a good number of players who are trying out for roster spots and helping to round up the shape of this year’s version of the Big Red. “We’ve had 16 to 18 kids come out to practice and we have only two upperclassmen, senior Kyle Cable and junior Jared Ward. We have a lot of young kids. Cole Blackburn has looked good off the hoof, Dustin Clark Cody Hughes, and Joey Potter have played with a lot of enthusiasm and energy. It’s exciting to work with those young guys who are excited and want to be here,” Coach Williamson added. “It has impressed me to have the turnout of young players. When we get the eight or so varsity players come back to join us in the coming days, it will be interesting.”
The infusion of young talent and how quickly they will be able to adjust to the varsity system will be important to how long it takes this year’s team to gel. “People thought we shot the ball fast in the past, and we’re probably gonna have to shoot it faster this season,” the coach explained. “You look at teams like Mountain Heritage with their height and talent, Mitchell has a couple of big kids, Madison has had a great JV program moving up, Owen has been notorious for having big players, and Hendersonville returns most everybody back. Polk County only lost one player off their team, which means our conference will be deep, big, and talented this year. Knowing that, we’re going to focus a lot on defense, probably more than I’ve ever spent in the past. We’ll hope to create some shots off our defense in transition and make some of these bigger teams tired.”

Avery starts out of the gate quickly with regular season play at a Thanksgiving tournament at Mitchell, and a non-conference schedule featuring Watauga, Ashe, North Buncombe, and a Christmas tournament at Freedom High School before conference season starts full-force after New Year’s.

“The early season will be a learning experience. We’ll have so many kids who haven’t played basketball in a while, so we’re going to work on getting some games under our belts. Watauga is loaded, Ashe County is playing the likes of Oak Hill, so we’re going to have to come out and play hard with our defense and intensity,” Coach Williamson added. “I’ve been a strong believer in ‘it’s not how you start, but how you finish’. Hopefully we can use those three games from the playoffs last year as building blocks, instilling in our kids the confidence that we gained going into Cherryville’s gym last year and playing with them.”

Lady Vikings Title Quest Begins This Monday

As hoops season tips off, one thing is certain: The Lady Vikings will be off and running.

For a team that was the quickest in the conference a season ago at pushing the basketball up and down the floor, the Lady Vikings offense of 2007-08 look to accomplish the feat from frenetic pace to breakneck speed. Meanwhile, the stifling defense that sparked many a fast break last season hopes to be new and improved with the infusion of several faces who have helped lead the junior varsity squad to three straight conference tournament championships.

“We’re real excited about this season, and we know the Western Highlands will be strong as ever,” Lady Vikings head coach Missy Lyons commented during a recent practice. “We know Mountain Heritage, Mitchell, Polk, and Owen are stronger. We have a lot of girls participating and we’re trying to start out very intense.”

A lot of girls may be an understatement as practices have been loaded with talent from over 30 girls who are taking part in the opening weeks of practice as the teams get ready for the junior varsity and varsity campaigns.

“We have a lot of girls who can play basketball, and we want to give them the opportunity,” Coach Lyons remarked. “A lot of the girls have worked hard this summer and attended camp. We got a good start, and as soon as we got some of our girls from cross country to join us, we began working hard in practice just trying to get into basketball shape with sprints, shooting a lot, and are beginning to work on offensive and defensive sets.”

Avery lost three starters from last season’s sectional runner-up team, but boasts the return of a number of key contributors and new additions. Six-foot senior Kim Gragg has led the squad in scoring the past two seasons and will anchor the inside for the Lady Vikings. Gragg is already generating interest from several colleges in her basketball services after graduation.

Fellow seniors Laura Lacey and Katie Peters will provide leadership at the forward positions, as the girls will be part of Coach Lyons’ system for their third season. Also working down low this season at the forward and center positions will be senior Andrea McFee and junior Katie Ellis, the junior varsity team’s leading rebounder a season ago.

The guard spots will be manned by a number of talented returning players, including Tasha Buchanan, Samantha Shook, Sara Singleton, and Allison Vance, along with players such as Hayley Pyatte who contributed to Avery’s junior varsity success. One of the most welcome returnees to the Avery team is senior guard Joy Jennings, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last season at Alleghany and whose leadership on the court was sorely missed for much of last season.

“We’re not going to have the big inside power players this season but we’re going to be very fast. We have some great shooters back, and we have several girls who did a great job playing YBOA together over the summer. The girls are really meshing together and I’m just amazed at how much teaching I don’t have to do anymore because these girls play year round and have really bought into our program,” Coach Lyons added. “Every year we just seem to be better when we get started.”

Avery came within nine points of claiming a berth in the regional tournament in Winston-Salem a season ago. While that loss continues to sting, it also motivates this year’s club to push harder and beyond even their own limitations this year.

“We’ve already talked about last year’s loss, and the seniors came up with the theme of ‘The Will to Win’, and sometimes that’s what it’s about, the will to win over teams that might be more talented, to just want it more. The girls saw that last season and saw what one single player can do on a certain night, and you have to be up every night or someone can knock you down,” Coach Lyons added. “It was a great learning experience for us and it fuels our desire to win. The girls just don’t want to lose, and I think it will take them a long way this year.”

Appalachian Notebook: Mountaineers Dismantle Catamounts; WCU Fires Coach Following Defeat

Appalachian State scored the second-most points in a single game in school history Saturday, running up a 79-35 victory over rival Western Carolina to capture the Old Mountain Jug for the 21st time in the last 23 meetings.
On a Saturday when Nebraska posted 73 points and Navy got 74, the Mountaineers (8-2, 4-2 Southern Conference) produced the most points in a game since a 115-0 beating of Piedmont in 1936.
The final score was also the most points in the series by a big margin. In 1966, Western Carolina took a 35-33 victory.
At the half, Appalachian State held a 45-21 edge, matching the most points it has scored in the opening two quarters since 2001.

Kevin Richardson had 230 all-purpose yards for Appalachian State, including a career-high 215 yards rushing on 22 carries and three touchdowns. Armanti Edwards completed a career-high 26 passes in 31 attempts for 295 yards and two scores, and he also ran for three more touchdowns.
Corey Lynch collected his 21st career interception, which he turned into Appalachian State's last score on a 65-yard return with 4:10 left to play.

Western Carolina (1-9, 0-6 SoCon) actually led 7-3 when Adam Hearns scored on a 5-yard run with 7:21 left in the first quarter to cap an 80-yard drive. Richardson scored on a 4-yard run on the ensuing possession to put the Mountaineers up for good.
Mike Malone rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns for the Catamounts.
Appalachian State finished with 743 yards of offense, including 347 yards passing on 32-of-40 attempts. The defense intercepted four Western Carolina passes, three of which were thrown by Hearns.
Following the loss, Western Carolina University announced on Monday that head football coach Kent Briggs will not return to lead the team next season.
Athletic director Chip Smith said the search for a replacement for Briggs would begin immediately. Smith said in a prepared statement that Briggs, who will coach the season finale against Furman on Saturday, would be reassigned to a position within the university.
Briggs has a career-mark of 22-42, with a Southern Conference mark of 12-31. The Catamounts have lost their last 14 conference games dating back to 2005.
Last season, Briggs received a three-year contract extension to lead the Catamounts after the team challenged for the conference title in 2005. He finished 2006 with a 2-9 record, including an 0-7 finish in the conference. It marked the first time Western Carolina had gone winless in the Southern Conference since 1977, when it joined the league.
After last Saturday's 79-35 loss to the Mountaineers, Western Carolina fell to 1-9 with an 0-6 conference mark.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Avery Journal Covers ................. Tennessee Football

This past Saturday, the Tennessee Vols took control and kept Heisman Candidate Darren McFadden to just 117 yards rushing in a 34-13 victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks in Neyland Stadium. The stingent Vol defense held the highly touted Razorback running attack to just 127 yards, 117 of which Darren McFadden, SEC's leading rusher, accounted for. The Vols also had 3 interceptions. The Vol offense was led by Arian Foster and Montario Hardesty rushing for 158 yards combined. Senior Quarterback Eric Ainge had a steller day as he was 12 of 25 for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns. "The first thing I want to tell you is never doubt the heart of a Volunteer. I’m really, really proud of this football team. It was a great team win. And the game was won in the preparation. Regardless what else happens in the Southeastern Conference, we are still in control of our own destiny. Our focus is now on Vanderbilt and improving as a football team,” Volunteer Coach Phillip Fulmer stated.

Fulmer also thought the home crowd was a key part in the victory. “I think our young team feeds off the home crowd a lot. It’s exciting. We’ve been a very good road team too. It’s been incredible. I didn’t think there would be anybody at all this morning on the Vol Walk, but it was packed. The people were so supportive.”

The Volunteers host Vanderbilt for Senior Day on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 2:00 pm.

Vikings Fall to Maroon Devils in Opening Round

The Avery Vikings lost a tight contest to the Swain County Maroon Devils by a final score of 15-8 at MacDonald Stadium Friday night.

Swain took a 15-0 lead with the help of a generous Avery defense, who fumbled three times in the opening half while throwing a pair of interceptions. Avery suffered an additional setback late in the first half when starting quarterback Adam Pate suffered a leg injury and did not return to the contest.

The only Viking touchdown in the game came courtesy of a 79-yard Chris Childress punt return in the third quarter. Avery drove deep into Swain territory midway through the fourth quarter, but Avery could not capitalize.

Swain will travel to Mount Airy next week to take on the undefeated Granite Bears, who pasted North Moore by the final score of 79-0 last night. Avery closes its season with an overall record of 5-7, and a tie for second place in Western Highlands Conference play.

HIGHLANDER GAMEDAY

Who: Harriman Blue Devils (5-5) vs. Cloudland Highlanders (7-3)

Where: Cloudland is looking for the home crowd advantage as the contest is being played at Orr Field.

Weather: Partly Cloudy around 46 degrees with a feel like temp of 41 degrees. Winds from the west around 6 mph. (weather.com)

What’s at Stake: A trip to the second round of the TSSAA playoffs to face the winner of Grace Christian and Midway

What to watch: Both teams love to run the ball. The battle of the lines in the trenches could be the difference. Also with both teams running, turnovers could be magnified.

The Highlanders will host the Harriman Blue Devils on Friday night for the first round of TSSAA playoffs. The ‘Landers enter the playoffs as the #2 seed from Region 1, while the Blue Devils enter the contest as the #3 seed from Region 2. The Blue Devils are 5-5 and are coming off a 35-13 win over Oakdale, who went 0-10 this season. The Highlanders did not make the playoffs last season and Harriman’s road to Murfreesboro ended with a second round loss to Hampton 42-7. The two teams have met once before in the playoffs. In 1999 when both teams were in 2-A, the Blue Devils got the best of the ‘Landers winning 28-14 before losing in the state semifinals 35-8 to eventual state champion Goodpasture. Harriman has notable victories over Coalfield 28-20 and at Greenback 31-14. The Highlanders were 7-1 in the state of Tennessee including the last second victories over Grace Christian, Jellico, and rival Unaka. Kickoff is 7:00 at Orr Field. (The regular season games had been at 7:30)

Keep Checking the Avery Journal Times for updates on the playoffs.

Avery native Paul Johnson leads Navy to historic win over Notre Dame

It was an historic day for the Navy Midshipmen football program last Saturday as they defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for the first time since 1963. Congratulations to Avery County native Paul Johnson in leading his team to the win!

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) -It took 44 years and three overtimes for Navy to beat Notre Dame again.
The Midshipmen snapped an NCAA-record 43-game losing streak to the Fighting Irish on Saturday with a 46-44 victory in triple overtime.
Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada threw a 25-yard TD pass to Reggie Campbell on the first play of the third overtime, then found him again in the end zone for the 2-point conversion.
Notre Dame (1-8) cut the lead to two on a 5-yard TD run by Travis Thomas. But after a pass interference call gave Notre Dame a second-chance at the 2-point conversion, defensive lineman Michael Walsh and linebacker Irv Spencer tackled Thomas well short of the end zone.
It was the first time Navy (5-4) beat Notre Dame since a 35-14 win in 1963 when Roger Staubach was quarterback for the Midshipmen. The Midshipmen celebrated the long-awaited victory at midfield, jumping on top of each other.
"Wow, what a game," Navy coach Paul Johnson said. "I'm so happy for our players. Now they will have that they are the class that broke the streak and they won't have to hear any more about it."
For Notre Dame, it was its school-record fifth straight home loss, another low point in a season of lows.
"We lost the game. The streak doesn't mean anything to me," Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said.
The Irish, who could do little to slow Navy's offense, held the Midshipmen to three-and-out late in the fourth quarter with the score tied at 28. Greg Veteto had the first punt of the game, and Tom Zbikowski returned it 32 yards to the Navy 38.
The Irish drove to the 24, but on fourth-and-8 Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis decided to go for it rather than attempt a field goal. Chris Kuhar-Pitters, who earlier returned a fumble 16 yards for a touchdown, sacked Evan Sharpley with 45 seconds left.
It was the fourth sack for Navy, which entered the game with five.
Notre Dame, which hadn't scored more than 20 points all season, led 21-14 at halftime, the first halftime lead for the Irish all season.
The two teams traded touchdowns most of the day and had just traded missed field goals when Kuhar-Pitters came up with his big play early in the fourth quarter. Sharpley dropped back to pass and was wrapped up by nose guard Nate Frazier and defensive end Michael Walsh knocked the ball loose. Kuhar-Pitters scooped up the loose ball and rumbled into the end zone.
Kaheaku-Enhada scored the 2-point conversion to give the Midshipmen a 28-21 lead.
The Irish responded, though, with a touchdown of their own as Thomas went in from 3 yards out with 3:25 remaining to tie it.

Ramblings on Playoffs

Since Jamie has already posted his first column on here, I thought I would join in on the fun. The fall is one of my favorite times of the year, and on Friday night that is even more so. Friday night begins the high school football playoffs, and there are some interesting matchups in Tennessee and North Carolina. A win means you come closer to your dream of a state championship, but a loss means that you can start practicing basketball earlier. There is never a team playing on any given Friday night that wants to lose, and that is even more so this week. I thought I would offer my take on some of the most interesting games on Friday Night.

Tennessee:

Harriman (5-5) vs. Cloudland (7-3)- On paper, this looks to be the most interesting matchup. Both teams are very solid and have great players. Neither team has a clear cut advantage on paper. This one may just come down to pride, and there is not shortage of that. The 'Landers have been the cardiac kids this season and that may serve them well in the playoffs. This is a game you don't want to miss if your a 'Lander fan. A cold Orr Field (The Weather Channel is calling for some snow showers Thursday Night and Friday Morning and a low around freezing for kickoff) will be rocking on Friday Night. (A preview of this matchup will be posted later on this week with the Highlander Gameday post!)

Trousdale County (7-3) vs. South Pitt. (10-0)- When I was working on projected brackets Friday Night, this matchup as a first round game blew my mind. I honestly thought I had made a mistake since it was so late, but it was the case. There was not a single seed set in Trousdale's region until Friday night. Many felt this would be a third round matchup this season, including myself. There may not be 2 other schools with so much football success. Honestly, this may be one of the most anticipated first round games. This is another pretty even matchup that will probably result in a lot of action.

Oak Ridge (9-1) at Dobyns Bennett (7-3)- From 1A to 5A, this game is a rematch from early in the season. Both teams have improved tremendously from when Oak Ridge left DB with a 14-7 win. This looks like another game to be a lot of fun.

North Carolina:

Swain (4-7) at Avery (5-6)- This game has to be the most intriguing. These two teams actually mirror each other on several aspects. The teams are almost equal. Jamie will have a better take on this game which is featured in today's Journal and may be in a later post.

Some other North Carolina games that will be quite interesting. Jamie may have more to add on these games:

Mitchell at Lincolnton: Mitchell controlled its own destiny after Avery upset Owen, but losses to Mountain Heritage and Avery last week have put the Mountaineers in a pretty even matchup with Lincolnton.

Independence vs. Page- This may not even be a close game, but it grabbed my attention because of the issues surronding Independence's coach. Independence boasted the nation's longest winning streak coming into the year, but have lost two games this season. One was last week to rival Butler after Coach Tom Knotts was suspended. If the Patriots let the off field issues affect them, Page will be more then delighted to move into the second round.

On Friday Night, the Avery Journal Times will have you covered for the football playoffs. We will have updates posted as soon as possible after the games. Friday night is a big night for the Avery Journal Times as both Avery and Cloudland will be at home. Since, you can only be at one place we will have you covered. Jamie will be in his usual perch high above MacDonald Stadium working on the radio. I will be at the Cloudland game as usual, so if you see me walking around don't be afraid to say hey. Enjoy the Playoffs!!

Avery County Parks and Recreation Named 2007 NRPA/NFL Local Agency Grant Recipient

Newland, NC, Oct 31, 2007 – This year over 200 agencies from parks and recreation, schools, and leagues applied for the 2007 National Football League (NFL) Youth Fund Local Agency Grant in partnership with the National Recreation & Park Association (NRPA). Each applicant submitted detailed information concerning the state of youth football within their community in order to qualify for funding through this competitive process. Both tackle and flag programs were considered for support across the country.
Avery County Parks and Recreation received funding support for local youth flag and tackle football in order to provide new equipment and volunteer background checks. These programs will effect over 160 youth every fall season.
Over 100 agencies received funding to enhance programs and create stability for the future of youth football at the grassroots level. Avery County Parks and Recreation was awarded a grant in the amount of $4,000. Director Robbie Willis stated “the award will go toward unifying our services in the area of youth football. A portion of these funds will be used to pay a one-time fee to a NRPA network provider of volunteer background checks, while another portion will be used as seed money for flag football and yet another portion will go toward tackle football equipment.” Willis concluded the department was very excited to be recognized by both the NFL and NRPA through this grant.

Edwards has Record Setting Day, Apps Dominate Citadel 45-24

The Appalachian State Mountaineers used the legs of Armanti Edwards, who was named National Offensive Player of the Week from The Sports Network and Southern Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week, to defeat the Citadel Bulldogs. Edwards had a career day with 291 rushing yards and had touchdown runs of 80 and 25 yards. The 291 yards fell just 18 yards short of the national record of quarterback rushing yards (either division). The Apps took a 31-14 lead at the half as Edwards amassed a total offensive production of 341 yards in the first half alone and a total of 439. The Citadel made a charge as the second half started, scoring the first ten points of the half, but Kevin Richardson took control of the contest. The App defense stood up to the second half challenge to secure the win. The Apps return to "The Rock" on Saturday as they host Western Carolina for the Battle for the Old Mountain Jug.

For continuing coverage of the Appalachian State Mountaineers, continue to check out the Avery Journal Times Sports Blog.

Vikings Upset Mitchell; Host Maroon Devils in Playoffs Opening Round

On Friday night the Avery Vikings used a key fourth quarter drive and a blocked field goal to hold off the Mitchell Mountaineers 28-27 in Ledger. A Travis Thomas one-yard run that just cleared the pylon in the corner of the end zone drew Avery to within one point with 52 seconds remaining. An Adam Pate QB draw on the ensuing two-point conversion proved to be the difference.

The Mountaineers had one final opportunity with a 27-yard field goal attempt by Jesse Mimkin with 3.2 seconds remaining in the game, but the Vikings special teams rose up to block the kick and preserve the win.

Avery finishes the regular season with a 5-6 overall record, and hosts the Swain County Maroon Devils (4-7) out of the Smoky Mountain Conference.

Avery's portion of the 1-AA playoff bracket:

#8 Avery Co. vs. 9 Swain
#1 Mt. Airy vs. 16 North Moore
#5 Cherryville vs. 12 East Surry
#4 Albemarle vs. 13 East Montgomery







Swain County Maroon Devils (4-7, 4-2 SMC)
2007 Schedule:
08/17 @ Polk Co. L 0-20
08/24 Smoky Mountain L 0-9
08/31 Saint Stephens L 0-19
09/07 @ Franklin L 6-24
09/15 North Buncombe L 12-15
09/21 @ Robbinsville* L 25-33
10/05 @ Hayesville* L 20-21
10/12 Cherokee* W 20-16
10/19 Andrews* W 32-13
10/26 @ Rosman* W 24-14
11/02 Murphy* W 21-13

Much more on this week's playoff matchup in this week's edition of the Avery Journal-Times and here on the Blog!